Sunday, July 31, 2011

Well, I'd have to say that this week's assignment has been the most strenuous, in my opinion! I had some technology issues with posting my plan to my blog too -- but I finally found a way to make it work. Looking back on the week, however, I am so glad that I have a start to my plan. I can see the steps I need to take and I look forward to "tweeking" the activities so that I can successfully complete the plan. I'm very optimistic that the results will allow for some positive changes for our teachers and our students!

Saturday, July 23, 2011

What a week this has been! After totally forgetting about the web conference, I went back and watched/listened. The information shared was excellent! Also, I so enjoyed the interviews with the 3 scholar practitioners. It was informative to see the different ideas related to action research. While I know the importance of quantitative data in research -- after all, how can anyone argue with cold, hard facts -- I appreciate Mr. Briseno discussing the qualitative data and how it fits in to the research aspect. As a teacher, I can certainly relate to the significance of this aspect, so I'm glad this was included.

After this week's lesson, I realized I had to narrow my topic. With the help of my site mentor, I believe we have accomplished that task! I'm looking forward to digging deeper into my topic -- with eventually putting it into action!

Saturday, July 16, 2011

The very nature of blogging -- sharing thoughts and ideas -- is conducive to education since teaching is all about sharing! So, of course, educational leaders would benefit greatly from blogging by giving school stakeholders (i.e. students, parents, community members, alumni, business owners, etc.) the opportunity to share what is happening in relation to the school environment. It’s also a great avenue for leaders to seek support for various school-related issues, find others who have like interests in relation to the school, and share the most current information regarding specific events.

So, Leaders, what are you waiting for? Get on the road to enhanced communication with your stakeholders, and get your blog on!

With action research, or, as Dana (2009) describes it, “administrator inquiry” (pg. 2), I focus on an issue that is right in my own realm of responsibility. Once that focus area is narrowed to one that is manageable, I search for information/literature that can help with the issue. Often times, another educator has been in a similar situation, and a possible solution might just be nearby! Data gathering, another component necessary in action research, can include not only disaggregated test data, but also discussions with stakeholders, diagnostic tests, and samples of work. At this point, I have narrowed the problem, read applicable literature, and gathered appropriate data, so now it’s time, as Harris et. al (2010) states, for “taking action for improvement” (pg. 6). Basically, I develop a plan to put in to action that will, hopefully resolve the issue. Personal reflection and sharing the actions/results with coworkers, parents, administrators is one of the most important components of action research. Reflection allows teachers to gain confidence in their decision making and sharing can result in the creation of learning communities where all members benefit (Ringler, 2007).

Time consuming? Yes. But definitely worth it since it’s beneficial for not only the students, but also the educator, the administrators, and the school!